Related Stories

A 74-year-old man who went missing Thursday night while visiting the Douglas County Fair with his son has been found, and authorities have canceled a Silver Alert for the man, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

Lt. Steve Lewis said the man, Larry Baecht, was in “fair condition” when he was located in a rural area southeast of Lawrence about 12:20 p.m. Friday.

Baecht was riding an electric scooter when he left the fairgrounds about 7 p.m. Thursday, Lewis said. He reportedly drove his electric scooter until the battery died.

Baecht was spotted by workers near the site of the South Lawrence Trafficway construction, more than 2½ miles away from the fairgrounds, Lewis said.

Deputies and fire and medical personnel responded to the area and found Baecht, Lewis said. He was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for a more thorough health assessment.

When the Silver Alert was issued for Baecht, Lewis said Baecht was able to walk on his own without the aid of his scooter, but not for long distances without tiring. He also takes several medications and requires multiple medical treatments each week.

Lewis said sheriff’s deputies, Lawrence police officers and a Kansas Highway Patrol helicopter all were involved in the search for Baecht.

“Such missing person events are extremely stressful for family and friends,” Lewis said. “We are grateful we were successful at finding Mr. Baecht and returning him to his family.”

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of
civility. Posts and comments do not reflect the views of this site.
Posts and comments are automatically checked for inappropriate
language, but readers might find some comments offensive or
inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the
"Flag as offensive" link below the comment.